A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data. There are various types of barcodes which use different shapes and structures to represent data. One such example is by varying widths and spacings of parallel lines (referred to as a linear or one-dimensional barcode). Other examples include various shapes and configurations of rectangles, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns to represent data in two dimensions.
Barcodes have found use in displaying optical machine-readable identifiers of products including devices, equipment tagging, tickets, coupons, consumables and the like. Such barcodes may be printed onto a label (e.g. paper, metal or plastic) and adhered to the product or packaging thereof. In other cases, the barcode may be printed or embossed on the product or its packaging. A barcode could represent the type or model number of a product, or otherwise be a unique identifier that changes for every device
Most portable electronic devices, for example, have a unique identifier which is represented as a barcode and printed onto a label which is adhered to the relevant device or the packaging thereof. The identifier may serve to uniquely identify the device and may for example be a serial number or model number of the device.
Adhering a unique barcode to, or printing a unique barcode on each electronic device may, however, be an expensive and time consuming procedure. For example, to install machinery configured to fix or otherwise label an electronic device with a consecutively numbered barcode may involve significant expense. This particularly may be the case where the number of devices is very large.
Furthermore, to correctly label the electronic device such that the identifier stored in a digital memory of the electronic device matches the identifier in the barcode with which the electronic device is labelled may be challenging and may extend the time and cost of manufacturing the electronic device.
There is accordingly a need for a technology which address these and/or other problems, at least to some extent.
The preceding discussion of the background to the invention is intended only to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgment or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge in the art as at the priority date of the application.